Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 25 August 1999

Scottish Executive

Education

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many higher and further education students have fallen ill during their studies and been unable to continue with their course as a result, in 1998-99 and the previous three academic years.

Henry McLeish: Information is not collected centrally on further education or higher education students attending Further Education institutions who fall ill during their studies. However, this information is available for students in Higher Education Institutions, and is given in the table below. Information for 1998-99 is not yet available.

  Students do not continue with their studies for a variety of reasons which can be complex in nature. The information shown below is for the main reason cited by the student or presumed by the institution. Deceased students are not included with those who gave health reasons as the cause of leaving without completing the course.

  Students who left Higher Education Institutions in Scotland without Completing their Course1 who gave ‘Health2 Problems’ as the Reason for Leaving: 1995-96 to 1997-98

  

Academic Year
Post-
graduate 

First
Degree 

Sub
Degree 

Total
HE 

FE


TOTAL




1995-96
54


352


47


453


3


456




1996-97
59


298


81


438


2


440




1997-98
68


282


88


438


4


442





  1 This information can only provide an indication of the reason cited or presumed for a student leaving.

  2 Excludes ‘death’.

Enterprise

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in the light of the fact that the contract of Crawford Beveridge, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, is due to end in March 2001, how it will proceed with the recruitment of his successor, and how it will involve the Parliament in the process.

Henry McLeish: The Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise is an employee of the Board and the recruitment of a successor to the present Chief Executive is a matter for Scottish Enterprise. Under the terms of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990 any appointment requires the approval of Scottish Ministers.

Local Government

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give community councils more responsibility in the development of local plans and strategic policy decisions.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive recognises the special role that Community Councils have in the planning system, and current research is examining the experience of Community Councils as statutory consultees on planning. The Report of the Commission on Local Government and Scottish Parliament made a number of recommendations concerning community councils and the local consultation process. A consultation paper, which will include a section on community councils, will be issued in due course.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SW1-292 by Susan Deacon on 29 July 1999, whether any discussions took place with representatives of motoring and insurance organisations in regard to the increase in charges under the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 and, if so, to provide details of those discussions.

Susan Deacon: Meetings and correspondence to discuss the proposed changes took place with a range of organisations including the Association of British Insurers (ABI), representatives from the smaller Insurance Companies, and the Motor Insurance Bureau.

  The discussions were led by the Department of Health and took place in 1997. They centred on the compliance costs associated with the proposed changes. None of the insurance companies felt that they would be differentially affected by the changes, either in terms of NHS charges or additional administration costs, and for this reason their compliance costs would be in proportion to their exposure to motor liability insurance.

  Whether or not those compliance costs are passed on to motorists in the form of additional premiums will be for the individual companies to decide.

Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify total public expenditure on road improvements in each of the last five years and what is the expected public expenditure on road improvements in (a) 1999-2000; (b) 2000-01, and (c) 2001-02.

Sarah Boyack: Total public expenditure on road improvements cannot be separately identified from the available information but I refer to the answers (S1W-664 and S1W-665) on total central and local government expenditure on transport which I gave to Mr Tosh on 20 August. Information on expenditure planned by local authorities in 2000-01 and 2001-02 is not held centrally.